Jason Fields

Jason M. Fields (born January 29, 1974) is an American politician, and a former stockbroker, financial advisor, and banker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for six terms (2005–2013 & 2017–2021).[2][3] Fields ran for Milwaukee City Comptroller, the city's top financial job, in the 2020 spring election, but lost narrowly.[4][5]

Jason Fields
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 11th district
In office
January 3, 2017 – January 4, 2021
Preceded byMandela Barnes
Succeeded byDora Drake
In office
January 3, 2005 – January 7, 2013
Preceded byJohnnie E. Morris-Tatum
Succeeded byMandela Barnes
Personal details
Born (1974-01-29) January 29, 1974
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLa Tasha
Residence(s)Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Alma materCardinal Stritch University (B.S., 2014)
ProfessionFinance
Salary$52,999[1]
WebsiteState Assembly website
Personal twitter

Background

Jason Fields was born in Milwaukee on January 29, 1974, to Johnie Fields Jr and Debra Fields. He graduated from Milwaukee Lutheran High School in 1992. He worked as a stockbroker, financial advisor, and banker, and is a certified financial education instructor. He returned to school as an adult, earning his Bachelor's degree in Business Management from Milwaukee's Cardinal Stritch University in 2014. He is a member of the Prince Hall Masons, the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Elks Lodge of Milwaukee #46, and the International Society of Business Leaders.[6]

Public office

Fields, who had served as Fourth Congressional District Chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party and held other party office, was first elected to the Assembly in 2004, and was thrice reelected from 2006-2010). His committee assignments included those on financial institutions (which he chaired during the 2009-2011 session); insurance; jobs, economy and small business, education reform; transportation; ways and means, workforce development, economic development; and urban and local affairs.[7]

2012 Primary Defeat

In 2012, he lost his bid for reelection in the Democratic primary, losing to Mandela Barnes, son of a public school teacher, who had made major issues of Fields's support for the school voucher program, and Fields’s opposition to limiting interest rates charged by payday loan companies whose charges can exceed a 500% annual percentage rate. (Fields's brother Jarett, who was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the nearby 19th District, was also defeated.) Fields was one of two veteran Milwaukee-area Democratic incumbents (the other being Peggy Krusick) to be unseated in that August primary by challengers who argued that the incumbent was too conservative to represent the district properly.[8][9]

2016 Return

In 2016, Barnes announced he would challenge incumbent Lena Taylor in a Democratic primary for her seat in the Wisconsin State Senate. This left an opening in the 11th Assembly District, and Fields decided to run again for his old seat. He defeated Milwaukee community organizer Darrol D. Gibson in the Democratic primary and was unopposed in the general election.[10][11]

2020 Comptroller election

In 2020, Fields announced he would run for election as Milwaukee City Comptroller. He topped the field in the February primary election, taking 43% of the vote, but was narrowly defeated in the general election by deputy comptroller Aycha Sawa.[12][13] Fields made an issue of Sawa's handling of an audit of lead piping which was rated as exaggerated and misleading.[14] The comptroller election was one of several Wisconsin elections significantly impacted by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin.

Leaving office

On May 12, 2020, Fields filed paperwork with the Wisconsin Elections Commission declaring he would not be a candidate for re-election in 2020. He also released a press release confirming the decision, stating, "After much consideration about the future, and conversations with my dear wife, La Tasha Fields, I have decided to not seek re-election to the Wisconsin State Assembly, District 11."[15]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010)
Wisconsin Assembly, 11th District Election, 2004[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Primary Election, September 14, 2004
Democratic Jason Fields 2,793 45.16%
Democratic Leonard Goudy 2,172 35.12%
Democratic Jim Malloy 1,173 18.97%
Scattering 46 0.74%
Total votes 6,184 100.0%
General Election, November 2, 2004
Democratic Jason Fields 19,625 99.37% +0.62%
Scattering 124 0.63%
Plurality 19,501 98.74% +1.23%
Total votes 19,749 100.0% +106.34%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Assembly, 11th District Election, 2006[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 7, 2006
Democratic Jason Fields (incumbent) 11,626 99.42% +0.05%
Scattering 68 0.58%
Plurality 11,558 98.84% +0.09%
Total votes 11,694 100.0% -40.79%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Assembly, 11th District Election, 2008[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 2008
Democratic Jason Fields (incumbent) 21,083 99.24% -0.18%
Scattering 162 0.76%
Plurality 20,921 98.47% -0.36%
Total votes 21,245 100.0% +81.67%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Assembly, 11th District Election, 2010[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 2, 2010
Democratic Jason Fields (incumbent) 14,860 99.10% -0.14%
Scattering 135 0.90%
Plurality 14,725 98.20% -0.28%
Total votes 14,995 100.0% -29.42%
Democratic hold

Wisconsin Assembly (2012)
Wisconsin Assembly, 11th District Election, 2012[21][22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Primary Election, August 14, 2012
Democratic Mandela Barnes 2,596 68.14%
Democratic Jason Fields (incumbent) 1,206 31.65%
Scattering 8 0.21%
Total votes 3,810 100.0%
General Election, November 6, 2012
Democratic Mandela Barnes 16,403 98.79% -0.31%
Scattering 201 1.21%
Plurality 16,202 97.58% -0.62%
Total votes 16,604 100.0% +10.73%
Democratic hold

Wisconsin Assembly (2016, 2018)
Wisconsin Assembly, 11th District Election, 2016[11][23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Primary Election, August 9, 2016
Democratic Jason Fields 2,933 58.47%
Democratic Darrol D. Gibson 2,063 41.13%
Scattering 20 0.40%
Total votes 5,016 100.0%
General Election, November 8, 2016
Democratic Jason Fields 18,418 98.76% -0.07%
Scattering 232 1.24%
Plurality 18,186 97.51% -0.14%
Total votes 18,650 100.0% +6.36%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Assembly, 11th District Election, 2018[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 6, 2018
Democratic Jason Fields (incumbent) 17,162 98.75%
Scattering 218 1.25%
Plurality 16,944 97.49% -0.02%
Total votes 17,380 100.0% -6.81%
Democratic hold

Milwaukee Comptroller (2020)
Milwaukee City Comptroller Election, 2020[25][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Primary Election, February 18, 2020
Nonpartisan Jason Fields 25,305 42.98%
Nonpartisan Aycha Sawa 17,913 30.42%
Nonpartisan Alex Brower 15,248 25.90%
Scattering 412 0.70%
Total votes 58,878 100.0%
General Election, April 7, 2020
Nonpartisan Aycha Sawa 41,297 50.40%
Nonpartisan Jason Fields 40,299 49.18%
Scattering 347 0.42%
Plurality 998 1.22%
Total votes 81,943 100.0%

References
  1. Salaries of Wisconsin State Elected Officials (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 2019. p. 2. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  2. Keith, Theo (June 19, 2016). ""I'm not perfect:" Former Assemblyman running again, and his announcement raised eyebrows". WITI. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  3. "Wisconsin District 11 State Assembly Results: Jason Fields Wins". The New York Times. December 13, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  4. Milwaukee County Spring Election April 7, 2020 - Unofficial Results (Report). Milwaukee County Elections Commission. April 13, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  5. Incumbents Who Have Filed a Notifications of Noncandidacy (EL-163) for the November 3, 2020 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. May 12, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  6. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (2019). "Elected officials: Legislature". Wisconsin Blue Book 2019-2020 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. pp. 32–33. ISBN 978-1-7333817-0-3. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  7. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. State of Wisconsin 2011-2012 Blue Book. Madison: Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, 2011, p. 27.
  8. Marley, Patrick and Alison Bauter. "Longtime state legislators Fields, Krusick lose in primaries" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel August 14, 2012.
  9. "WisPolitics Election Blog: Progressives pull off series of wins in Milwaukee primaries". Archived from the original on 2012-08-18. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  10. Rumage, Jeff (July 27, 2016). "Former legislator competing against political organizer for his old Assembly seat". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  11. Canvass Results for 2016 Partisan Primary - 8/9/2016 5:00:00 AM (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. September 30, 2016. p. 22. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  12. Carson, Sophie (March 30, 2020). "Milwaukee comptroller race centers on lead pipes and the role of city's chief financial officer". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  13. "Wisconsin Election Results — 2020 Spring General Election And Presidential Primary". WUWM. April 13, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  14. Litke, Eric (April 3, 2020). "Attack ads in Milwaukee comptroller race exaggerate, mislead". PolitiFact. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  15. "Rep. Fields: Not seeking re-election to State Legislature in 2020" (Press release). Wispolitics.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  16. Results of Fall Primary Election - 09/14/2004 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 10, 2004. p. 25. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  17. Results of Fall General Election - 11/02/2004 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 1, 2004. p. 15. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  18. Results of Fall General Election - 11/07/2006 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 5, 2006. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  19. Results of Fall General Election - 11/04/2008 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 25, 2008. p. 13. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  20. 2010 Fall General Election Results Summary (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 1, 2010. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 21, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  21. Canvass Results for 2012 Partisan Primary - 8/14/2012 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 28, 2012. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  22. Canvass Results for 2012 Presidential and General Election - 11/6/2012 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 26, 2012. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 21, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  23. Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 7, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  24. Canvass Results for 2018 General Election - 11/6/2018 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. February 22, 2019. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 7, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  25. Milwaukee County Spring Primary February 18, 2020 (Report). Milwaukee County Elections Commission. February 18, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
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